


Undisclosed Secrets Of The Heart

by OrientalElf



Category: The Night Manager (TV), The Night Manager (TV) RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, jonathan pine - Fandom
Genre: Action, Angst and Humor, Childhood Memories, Depression, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gun Violence, Heartbreak, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Naked Female Clothed Male, Romance, Sexual Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 03:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6140299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrientalElf/pseuds/OrientalElf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexa Black, one of Angela Burr's most trusted British Intelligence agent's is sent to save a man by the name of Jonathan Pine from the clutches of a deep mafia territory. Trying to find her way in the world and complete her own personal mission of avenging her mother's death, she find's herself accompanying Jonathan to try and infiltrate a notoriously evil man that unbeknownst to her is the one she's been trying to find all along. Will she be able to focus on the struggles at hand without her heart getting in the way or will she fall peril to the man they call the Night Manager?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Such A Handsome Face

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to resist but I fell into the turmoil that was "The Night Manager", oh Jonathan... those eyes, that smile, that body! Based loosely on the series I've always wanted to write something with a badass undercover agent theme to it and with The Night Manager currently out I thought what I better time than now to feel inspired! I hope you enjoy this fic and as always every kudo, comment and view is GREATLY appreciated! xxx
> 
> *No spoilers from the TV series in this fic and you don't need to watch the Night Manager to understand this fic!*

Being guided through a dirty suburban factory corridor I adjusted the silk masquerade mask on my face before being commanded to halt in front two metal sliding doors. I stood there trying my best to fit into the group of scantily clad whores brimming with excitement at how much they’d be earning for a couple of hours with Turkey’s most frightening mafia leader, Burak Emre. Commotion could be heard inside the large room as I glared at my slutty figure reflecting off the patrol guard’s sunglasses and tried to control the urge not to shiver at the harsh Swiss cold biting at my skin.

“Enter now!” the guard demanded as we strolled into the room ready to service. 

“Darling’s come to papa!” his thick Turkish accent echoed off the metal walls as he sat legs wide open on a black disheveled sofa, “…now who’s gonna treat papa first hm?” he waved a handful of cash in the air as the girls squealed and we threw ourselves onto him.

“You’re losing lives pretty boy!” I tried not to jerk my head around at the two lone figures in the near distance, “…tell me where your hiding them!” 

“Always spoiling my fun Kerem!” Burak shouted to the man currently pacing, “…you need to relax, like me!” he laughed pervertedly before ushering the guard inside to turn on the radio.

“Louder, Louder!” he yelled as the music blared and blasted so violently from the speakers I could feel the bass line pounding in my chest, “…you three dance for me, and you my love…I think daddy needs a little release now!” his smirk sickened me as the blonde crouched down and began unbuckling his belt. 

“Where is it?” the pacing man shouted even louder above the music as I twirled and twisted provocatively around the other two girls to try and get a better view, “I have five bullets in here-“

“Then shoot me!” I jumped at the crisp clear British accent resonating from the bruised and battered man tied to the wooden chair.

“That would be too easy wouldn’t it!” he yelled before slamming the back of his gun unmercifully into the man’s face, “…tell me where Roper is?” he slammed it into him again.

“I…” he chocked on his own blood, “…don’t…know-“

“LIAR!” he cried before madly shooting at the man’s right ankle sending him alternating between painful screams and exhausted heaving. 

“KERMEN!” Burak shouted as a fierce rage glazed across his eyes at us hesitating to continue, “…you spoil my fun and still can’t get any answers!” he shoved the blonde’s head back towards him abruptly as I watched her gag.

“What good are your whore’s anyway!” he turned around and pointed the gun at us sending me flinching at how exposed we were, “I told you we should just kill him!”

“Give him time, Kermen… let’s not be hasty” he paused to let out a disgusting moan, “…maybe he wants some of this too hm?” he laughed.

“Yeah…” Kermem began chuckling, “...do you want some pussy before you die pretty boy?” he taunted running the head of the gun around the man’s lips.

“You. Go bring him back here!” Burak pointed to the blonde next to me as she warily walked off to approach Kerem. I could tell she was scared by the sweat on her brow but she managed to ignore his decline and successfully dragged him back to the sofa trying her best to avoid the gun firmly gripped in his hand.

“I think your right…” Burak looked over to Kerem being straddled by the blonde replacing his gun with her breasts, “…we should treat him, maybe then he will talk?” they both sniggered.

“You. Go go! Give him a happy ending!” he pointed to the brunette beside me who looked over at the man still screaming in pain with a pool of blood around his ankle. She winched and looked back at Burak unwillingly, “…oh for god sake, I’m sick of waiting around!” he grabbed Kerem’s gun and aimed it directly for my head, “You! Now! Go! Ask him where he’s hidden the sim cards and if he doesn’t answer, I will kill both of you!” 

I nodded hastily and turned to face the motionless man leaning back in the chair, this was turning out to be more complex than I had ever imagined. Even in the most dire of situations I'd be kitted out in full body armor but here I was with nothing more than a skimpy thong and two small throwing knives carefully tucked under the sides of my lace bra. I needed to devise a plan of action fast before completely blowing my cover, but how?

“Go!” Kerem shouted as I snapped back to reality and walked quickly, “…dance slut, that’s what we pay you for whore!” he sneered as I bit my lip trying to hold back a laugh of what his fate would be very soon.

“Sexy sexy common!” Burak yelled as I mentally calmed my nerves and slowed my pace down to a seductive stride. I swayed my hips and ran my fingers around my breasts all the way down to my legs as they cheered and whistled at my frankly novice moves, it was clear these men were viler than the scum of the earth. The closer I got towards him, the clearer it was to see just how much he had suffered at their hands as not only were his ankle and jaw broken but his face was so swollen and covered in blood I was starting to doubt whether or not this was indeed the man I was on a mission to save?

“Such a waste of a handsome face..." I unknowingly muttered as a string of blood dripped slowly from his open mouth and I wondered why I felt so captivated by it.

“Yes!” the men yelled as I twirled around the chair glancing down at the rope restraints on his wrists, “…more more!” they shouted as I carefully straddled him and secretly imagined what this would like in different circumstances.

“Listen to me…” I swirled my hips around and nuzzled into his neck as he struggled in discomfort.

“…get…off…me-“ he chocked weakly and glanced at me momentarily with utter loathing.

“I’m here to help you…” I whispered in his ear.

“…I don’t need…help!” his voice became stronger as I pulled away and he spit shamelessly in my face. 

“British…” I mouthed the words while grabbing onto his face and forcing him to look at me,"…Intelligence” I winked as his eyes seemed to light up and frantically searched my face. Getting off him hurriedly as to not cause any suspicion, I worked my sexy moves around him exaggeratedly even crouching down beside him to lick the blood off his face to the delight of the sick men in the room.

“On three…” I muttered nibbling at his ear, “…move towards the back door”.

“Come on slut, show us your titties!” the men cried as I forced a smile and strode happily in front of their victim while feeling strangely self-conscious about my exposed derriere.

“On the count of three!” I shouted slowly swaying my hips and positioning my hands up to the back of my bra strap, “one…”

“Hurry hurry!” the men yelled as I mentally remembered the positioning of the three men inside and the one guard currently peeping in through the door outside.

“Two…” I gripped onto the metal handles of the knives.

“Three!" I yanked out the knives and threw them with accurate precision towards Kerem and the guard's neck who instantly began choking viciously on their own blood. With seconds to spare and hearing the chair behind me screech along the cement floor, I ran and forward rolled behind the sofa while the girls screamed at the horrific scene in front of them and ran out of the doors in a wild frenzy. Hearing Burak call for backup I quickly crawled across the floor to grab hold of the dead guard's gun and in one swift motion stood up and shot the guard running in from outside in the head as his body fell to the floor with a loud thud. Glancing over to Burak who had just finished zipping up his trousers and pointing Kerem's gun at me I slowly walked from behind the sofa as he took a few steps back and smiled. Not waiting for him to pull the trigger, I kicked the gun out of his hand and smacked him across the face before punching him in the stomach and shooting him straight through the head.

"Ah!" I heard a voice behind me and yanked my head back to see my target rolling on the floor amongst broken pieces of wood as he managed to crush the chair against the wall. I sprinted towards him fast as I heard footsteps echoing from the corridor and tried my best to propel him up without hurting him. Dragging the semi-conscious man by the waist towards the back door I shot open the pad lock as the doors blasted open and our team rushed in to take him.

"Somebody help him he's been shot!" my voice sounded strained as two men helped take him from my arms.

"Get back get back, their coming in!" an officer shouted as I turned around to shoot some of Burak's men currently firing a spray of bullets in our direction.

"Retreat men retreat!" I screamed as the helicopter finally arrived and we hurriedly jumped in while still shooting at the small group of men shielding themselves with their friends dead bodies.

"Go go go!" an officer yelled at the pilot who swung the helicopter around in full speed.

"Agent Black you're bleeding!" another officer pointed to my arm as I looked down to see it bleeding heavily, "...we need to sterilize it now!"

"NO! We need to save it for-" I was about to finish when another officer began yelling.

"He's going into shock, someone help me hold him down!" she screamed as I hurled towards them and cradled his face in my hands before his body suddenly became completely limp before my eyes.

"No! No no no no! Mr. Pine! Mr. Pine!" I shook his face back and forth feeling the sweat dripping around my mask, "...don't die on me now Pine, not after all of that!" I shouted before slapping him hard round the face.

"Agent stop!" an officer threatened trying to pry my hand away but I couldn't stop. The strong unsettling urge to see him live both concerned and heightened my senses as I slapped him round the face again seeing him gasp and open his eyes, "...he's alive, he's alive!" my voice sounded deranged. 

"Urgh!" he moaned loudly as the officer injected him full of drugs and steriods.

"Shh..." I held onto his face gently as he turned towards me still visibly in pain, "...it's alright, we're here to help you"

"Such a...beau...tiful...f...face..." his breath was hazy before his weary eyes closed to sleep and I tried hard to hide the smile surfacing on my lips.


	2. Don't Leave Me Daddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, I wanted to see if my story would gain interest before posting a new chapter so here I am and updates shall be more regular from now on! In this chapter we reveal Angela's plan of action as she recruits Alexa to join forces with Jonathan and infultrate the clutches of Richard Roper. We also learn of something else but how will this affect Alexa's and Jonathan's working relationship and what will happen when Alexa finally meets Jed? Find out in the next chapter! (Next chapter spoilers : A red dress, a ball, fluff and a few murders!) 
> 
> Thank you to everyone currently following this fic! xxx

10 AM. Floor 2. Room 201.

I read through Angela's message over and over again on my mobile as I lent on the wall with my back facing a couple of agents who were already in the meeting room. It had been two or maybe three weeks now since the Pine mission that Angela dismissed me for recovery leave and although my body felt well rested my mind remained cloudy. I wasn't going to deny it, often on those cold nights my mind would wonder back to him, to the warmth of his blood ridden face, to the sound of his pained voice. Of course this concerned me slightly, as never before had I cared for the well-being of my mission subjects but I put that down to plain curiosity as there was something oddly familiar about the way he held himself that sparked my interest. That and the fact that Angela had completely barred me from receiving any information of his status, I mean he could be dead now for all I knew? But so what if he was? Others have died before that and I needed to remind myself that this was just like any other ordinary mission I had been on, but why was it so hard? 

“All healed up nicely I see…” I turned around to see an offensively attractive Agent North standing in front of me.

“I have the best medicine in town haven’t you heard?” I teased feeling thankful I worked around such fit men in tight body suits all the time and Lucas North was definitely no exception. He had saved my life one too many times and was easily one of my closest friends although we hardly saw each other with him working jointly with MI5, still he was one of the sincerest and kindest men I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. Of course he was also a hit with the ladies with his jet black hair and emerald green eyes but it was always a wonder to me why he would never truly settle down?

“Now now, no keeping secrets in MI6 Agent Black…” his smile made my knees weak.

“Well then I wouldn’t worry about it Mr. MI5!” we both laughed.

“Are you really not going to tell me then?” he winked playfully.

“Whiskey…” I giggled, “…it works for all things believe me!” 

“Oh really? Well seeing as you’re so fond of this magic medicine what do you say we go for a drink-“

"Seats now!" Rob, Angela's colleague strode through the door slamming some folders down on the desk. Without another word Lucas and I hurriedly sat down silently around the round desk along with the other agents as we heard faint footsteps from outside. I glanced at Lucas excitedly as I felt the adrenaline surge through my veins at the thought of another mission, it had been far too long since the last one and I was more than ready to get back into action and hopefully forget about recent past events. 

“Right, I see you’re all here, Rob go back to the office please…” Angela stamped through the door, “…now I want you to meet Jonathan Pine”

I froze. Every cell in my body instantly forced a shut down as a tall handsome man entered into the room and his name spiraled around my brain in fast-forward. His presence seemed to suck the life out of me as I found it hard to breathe and couldn’t stop myself from staring shamelessly at his face. It was definitely him, the man I so desperately wanted to save but without the blood and bruises this time, no, he looked well and for reasons unknown I felt overjoyed at witnessing this. 

“Jonathan this is-“Angela was interrupted as Mr. Pine suddenly walked over to me.

"So this is who I need to thank for saving my life...” I sat stunned as he held out his hand. 

“How did you know?” Angela sounded miffed.

“I'd recognize those eyes anywhere…” he muttered never breaking eye contact as our hands finally met.

"Right well in that case, North, Hudson, Black stay put while the rest of you can get out, I only want the best agents for this one!" Angela's irritated shouting snapped me back to reality as the warmth from his hand left mine and I watched him take a seat opposite me as I tried to regain normality from Lucas's suspicious eyes. 

"Hudson hand out the folders..." she commanded as we got flung a folder each, "...now before you open these pay close attention to what I'm about to tell you, before Agent Black successfully rescued Jonathan I was meant to meet him at a desired location in Switzerland. He had some vital information to give me, sim cards to be exact and before he was hospitalized we managed to scan the cards to pinpoint the suspects two next major locations-"

"Where did you find those?" Lucas broke the habit as always of forgetting his authority on a case. 

"I'll have you know this is not MI5 Agent North!" Angela yelled before Jonathan held up his hand to stop her. 

"Please ask as many questions as you want, as a man from a similar background I understand you need to trust the source..." Jonathan seemed sincere. 

"You're an agent?" I blurted out naïvely. 

"Ex-military..." Lucas answered for me as I immediately remembered noticing the multiples of scars on Jonathan's face and hands in the helicopter. 

"Yes..." Jonathan nodded, "...I found the cards in their rubbish and decided to contact Angela-"

"And how do you know Angela?" Lucas's voice became a low growl, "...this isn't just anyone we are searching for is it?" 

"No! Now if you'd shut up and let me continue things would come to light a little faster!" Angela yelled, "...the man we are dealing with is dangerous and potentially about to start a war right under our noses if we don't stop him first. And yes, as you've might have already guessed Lucas he's incredibly influential, has people working for him around the world and oh, did I also mention he's a murderer?

"Who was she?" I didn't understand why I was asking this question or why my voice sounded so sad but I knew it had to do with a woman, "...was she your wife?"

"No...Sophie wasn't my wife, just-" I seemed to interrupt his train of thought as his eyes became glazed.

"Sophie Alekan, she was Freddie Hamid's girlfriend wasn't she?" Hudson spoke up.

"Yes and as you clearly have deducted Agent Black she was murdered in cold blood at the hotel Jonathan was working in as the night Manager at the time. What happened to Sophie Alekan that night will only be justified when we arrest one of the most dangerous men in modern history. Jonathan has already agreed to help us infiltrate their clutches and with the new information we have retained, have come up with a plan that may actually work in getting to the bottom of seeing this man put behind bars for good..." Angela explained.

“What do you mean start a war? If he was that dangerous surely special forces would have already flown in and shot them all?" Lucas raised his voice.

"Well maybe they would have if there wasn't an unknown conspirator in the works Agent North! Do you think I have not tried running history checks on this guy? Whatever we do here must be kept secretive and only between our most trusted agents, which unfortunately for me is you lot! Whoever he has working for him not only has enough authority to dismiss and remove all scheduled scans but has enough power to oversee that all their business is hushed hushed and always thrown under the pile!" Angela yelled frustrated. 

"Arms to be exact, war arms and weapons are what we're dealing with..." Jonathan added.

"And how would you know this?" Lucas asked annoyed.

"...because Sophie had me photocopy the documents before her death" his voice weakened at the last word.

“Mafia, gangster’s, powerful men with money who all want a piece of the pie are purchasing these items and it needs to stop..." Angela trailed massaging her temples. 

"So we infiltrate to try and work out his next move..." Hudson's voice of reason rose again, "...but how?"

"By infiltrating as an equal, by becoming one of his men and destroying their plans from the inside..." Angela said.

“Then I volunteer-“ Lucas was interrupted.

“I have already chosen Agent Black” Angela pointed towards me as my heart pounded so loudly I was afraid she’d hear it.

“No, it’s too dangerous-“ Lucas glanced at me worryingly.

“I can handle myself Agent North” I glared at him appreciative of his concern yet annoyed. 

“But-“ Lucas continued.

“No but’s Agent North otherwise I shall remove you from the case. We needed a reliable decoy, someone who could infiltrate without being suspected yet have enough chemistry with Jonathan that it wouldn’t blow his cover…” Angela yelled.

“I agree with Angela, Agent Black would be the desired choice however if you wished to turn away at any moment I would understand…” Jonathan's tone was serious.

“I would never leave you…” I suddenly realized what I had just said, “…I mean, I swore an oath as an MI6 agent to never leave my counter parts no matter what the dangers Mr. Pine” 

“Please, call me Jonathan…” he expressed softly as I felt my cheeks unexpectedly burn.

“So what will our roles be?" Hudson questioned. 

"Jonathan will infiltrate initially and shortly after Agent Black will be sent to visit him as his sister. From the cards it shows his next location after Dubai is London, North, Hudson you will act as sub-agents infiltrating from a set location here but we will discuss this further at a later time..." Angela explained.

"Right, so let's see the bastard then..." Lucas asked as Angela nodded and we all opened our folders in unison. 

"So these must be the arms you were talking about..." I said taking out the first sheet of paper and examining the names on the document, "...Burak, that was the man who kidnapped you?"

"Yes, one of his men caught me rummaging around the rubbish bin at the back of the hotel that night and must have thought I was the man his boss was looking for..." Jonathan explained.

"Hm, ugly buggar isn't he?" I saw Lucas taking out a photograph from the folder and showing Hudson from the corner of my eye.

"Richard Onslow Roper..." Hudson's voice sent shudders down my spine as my head span round to tear the picture away from Lucas's hand.

"Alright alright, calm down Alexa, have a thing for older guys hm? Lucas taunted as his voice became a blur and my hands began to shake.

"Agent Black are you alright?" Angela's voice seemed to echo from a distance as all I could focus on was the picture in front of my face. I felt physically sick as my head swirled and seemed disturbingly light, tighter and tighter my fingernails dug bending and distorting the man's face as I felt the blood drain from my own. I just couldn't believe it, after all this time the man I was holding in my bare hands was the man I had been searching for all along, the man that had killed my mother, the man that had neglected me all those years ago...my father.

"Alexa?" I felt Lucas try to pry the photograph from my hand but the stress had overtaken me and I lurched to the nearest office bin to be violently sick.

“Agent Black if you’re not up for this I have Agent’s Hopkins and Hooper outside-“ Angela said as Lucas crouched behind me to rub my back.

“NO!” I looked back to see both Angela and Jonathan startled by my sudden aggression, “…I...I’m fine, look I'm in alright, I'm going on this mission!" I stood up slowly wiping my mouth off with my sleeve before Angela ushered Hudson and Lucas out of the room.

"Fine, then we start tomorrow..." Angela left as Jonathan and I stood staring at each other momentarily.

"See you soon Agent Black" his gentle words soothed me as he turned towards the door.

"Please..." he glanced back at me over his shoulder, "...call me Alexa" we both smiled before he walked out the door and I let my body crash to the ground. 


	3. Classified Diversion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I just want to say a huge thank you to all the positive responses and comments I got on my last chapter and trust you will stay with me till the end on this one :) All feedback is greatly appreciated, xxx
> 
> In this chapter Alexa finally comes face to face with her father but all doesn't go according to plan as she begins to lose herself in the turmoil of her revengeful past. Will Roper believe the relationship between Jonathan and Alexa is purely just sibling love and how will Jonathan and Jed's intimate moment affect Alexa's mission? All shall be revealed in the next chapter! (*Next Chapter Spoilers* A murder and an intimate moment with Mr. Night Manager!)

I got in the car and slammed the door shut. 

“Is there something wrong Agent North?” I questioned tasting the cherry gloss on my lips.

“Err, no…” he looked away hesitantly and pulled out onto the road, “…you look nice Agent Black” 

“Ok tell me how much Hudson paid you to say that?” I smirked though felt slightly uncomfortable at his continued gaze, “…Lucas are you going to brief me or not?”

“Right, yes…” he cleared his throat and handed me a fake ID and a mobile, “...what else do you know excluding your objective?"

“What else do I know?” I yelled irritated, “…I’ve been hiding in the outskirts of Spain with only Angela as my point of contact Lucas, what the bloody hell do you think I know?” 

“Hey don’t blame me!” he yelled back, “…Angela’s trying to protect us Alexa, strange things are surfacing and our phones are being tapped periodically so under no circumstances use any other device to contact us apart from that one, understood?” 

“Understood. And what of Pine? Angela said he was successful in becoming part of…” I suddenly felt sick, “…R…Roper’s entourage” I glanced at the fake ID in my hand and tried to focus on my new details.

“Yeah smart bastard got hurt but survived…” Lucas trailed, “…seems Roper not only fell for his cover but recruited him as his new right hand man with a change of identity. He's already been briefed on your arrival tonight but remember you know him as Thomas Quince and you're Eleanor Quince now” 

“Eleanor…” I felt faint as I quickly shoved both items in my clutch, “…27, only sister, works at a charity foundation in Romania, is proud her brother has changed his ways…” 

“…needs to gain Roper’s wholehearted trust, convince him to let you stay there, locate his hidden documents, send copies back to us and job done!” Lucas swerved and parked the car outside the luxurious hotel. 

“Sounds easy enough...” I chuckled getting out the car.

“Miss Quince!" Lucas called out, “...don’t die on me okay?” he winked as I closed the door.

“Are you joking me, you still owe me that drink!” I waved goodbye and watched the car speed back to our secret location. 

***

Candid laughter blurred my senses as I entered the Hispanic Mediterranean hotel insulting it’s interior with the blood red velvet of my flowing gown. Sweat beads danced across my chest as I moved my hair behind my shoulders and followed the crowd of overly dressed socialites towards the outside entrance of the hotel grounds. People, the overpowering glare of people knocked me senseless as I stood atop the stairs feeling a sick rush of nostalgia hit me like I’d been force-fed cocaine in the form of my fucked up childhood. Yes, the charity cover-up, the cameras, the smell of wine, it was all just a hallucinogenic reminder of my mother lying dead. 

“Of course she looks beautiful, I have but only the finest taste…” a familiar voice rang through the hot Spanish air as I searched frantically for the source. 

Rage, pure selfless rage took over my body as I stepped down in a trance gripping onto a small throwing knife hidden in the seam of my clutch. I saw him, I saw him standing there with his arm around another woman before we locked eyes and revenge ran through my veins. I wanted him dead, I wanted to kill him, I wanted to tear a hole through his throat and watch him beg for mercy at my feet. 

“Eleanor!” another voice cried as I glided towards Roper with confident speed. 

"Birch what's gotten into you!" Roper remarked as I began to raise the knife towards his neck. 

“Eleanor!” suddenly a force out of nowhere lunged at me violently, "…it’s so good to see you!” he spoke animatedly prying the knife quickly out of my hand and into his pocket.

“N...no!" I struggled as his tight embrace quickly disrupted my train of thought.

"Say something…” he whispered sternly, "...now!" 

"Oh…I…Thomas! Brother, you don't know how much I've missed you!" my voice shook as I saw Roper look completely fascinated by our exchange. 

"I've miss you too!" Jonathan pulled away as I was unsure of why I wished his words were genuine.

"Well well well, so this is the sister?" Roper eyed my hand suspiciously as he held out his own.

"Indeed!" Jonathan laughed as I reluctantly shook his hand and avoided eye contact, "...she's a little jet lagged from the flight" he explained.

"Ah such a pity and I was going to ask her to dance..." he gazed at me shamelessly causing the woman beside him to become somewhat unsettled.

"Oh she loves dancing, don't you sis..." Jonathan pushed me a little closer to Roper as I tried to swallow the bile rising up my throat. 

"I...yes, yes I do!" I smiled nervously complying after seeing Jonathan furrow his eyebrows with grief.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her..." he scanned Jonathan's face seeming intrigued to find a faint frown, "...dance with Jed" his change of tone made me uneasy as he pulled me onto the dance floor and glanced back at Jonathan with the woman named Jed in his arms.

"You remind me of someone..." he twirled me before we transitioned into a slow dance.

"I...I do?" I said nonchalantly.

"Yes, she was incredibly beautiful..." his smile sickened me, "...much like yourself Eleanor" I bit my lip trying to hold back the anger.

"Your compliments precede you Mr. Roper, not only are you the generous man they say you are but you're also exceptionally charming" my facade seemed to be working as he chuckled in delight.

"Oh please!" he laughed loudly, "...you know flattery won't work here" he smirked leading me to worry that I had possibly ruined my only chance of reconciling the mission.

"Oh really?" I pushed myself onto him purposely to expose a nice view of my cleavage, "...and why is that Mr. Roper?"

"Well..." he glanced down before licking his lips, "...I was going to invite you back despite you being Birch's sister or not" he winked.

"I hope that doesn't yield me from asking you questions about the Charity Mr. Roper..." I pretended to giggle,"...I have long admired your work and knew when my brother contacted me about the event tonight that I needed to be here despite my appearance being hindered from the jet lag"

"Nonsense! In fact I would be insulted if you didn't ask!" he expressed, "...and one's things for certain Ms. Quince, your appearance undoubtedly isn't hindered as even your brother is unable to take his eyes off you" he spun me around unexpectedly as I caught sight of Jonathan staring back at me in the near distance.

***

“Darling I’m just going to the toilet” Jed told Roper as we arrived inside his enormously large villa.

“Birch, accompany her will you…” Roper commanded as he cradled his sleeping son in his arms and watched Jonathan follow a stumbling Jed down the hallway, “…the guest bedroom is also down there Eleanor”

“It’s the room opposite the office…” Corcoran, one of Roper’s henchman pointed. 

“Langbourne, remind me never to let her near the champagne again will you?” Roper asked his other henchman as we all laughed and said goodnight. 

Waiting until Roper and his henchmen were completely out of sight I walked alone down the moonlit hallway and found the single door opposite what appeared to be Roper's office rather easily. Luck seemed to prevail tonight despite the disastrous start but I knew tomorrow's task of breaking into his office would not only be incredibly complicated but also very dangerous. I stood for a few moments trying to analyse the dimensions of the office door when I heard a strange rustling sound coming from outside the patio down the hallway. Deciding it was most likely a bushy haired feline enjoying the fallen dead leaves, I tip-toed silently outside to catch a glimpse of my cat friend but instead found myself gasping at Jonathan and Jed sharing a lingering kiss beneath the olive tree. 

"I'm sorry I just-" I tried to explain as they both appeared startled by my sudden presence. 

"I really must sleep..." Jed laughed, "...nice to meet you anyway" she slurred her words before her footsteps passed me and disappeared down the hallway.

"Your acting skills are far better than I had anticipated Brother" I blurted out feeling strangely hurt as Jonathan attempted to leave the scene. 

"If you're referring to-" I didn't let him finish.

"You've gone rouge..." I lowered my voice to a whisper as he walked back to face me. 

"Of course not-" I interrupted him again.

"Then you mean to tell me that was all part of the mission?" I demanded angrily, "...well was it?" I tore away from his intoxicating eyes. 

"That was..." he hesitated, "...a classified diversion"

"A what?" I grabbed onto his suit jacket and pulled him in so close I could feel his breath on my neck, "...so we're keeping secrets from each other now?" 

"Then explain the knife..." he restrained my clenched hand away from his jacket and placed the knife carefully in my palm.

"Oh this?" I held it up mockingly, "...this is MY classified diversion!" 

"Alexa!" he called out but I had already shoved past him feeling hot tears sear trails down my cheeks.


End file.
